Cable TV
Q2-2016: Den Network’s QoQ revenue up 2.1%
BENGALURU: Den Networks Ltd (Den Networks) reported 2.1 per cent growth in consolidated Total Income from operations (TIO) in the quarter ended 30 September, 2015 (Q2-2016, current quarter) at Rs 271.29 crore as compared to the Rs 265.60 crore in Q1-2016. TIO in the current quarter however was per cent per cent lower than the Rs 291.72 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
The company’s consolidated net loss in Q2-2016 increased to Rs 75.23 crore as compared to the loss of Rs 51.89 crore in Q1-2016 and a loss of Rs 20.45 crore in Q2-2015.
Cable Distribution Network revenue in Q2-2016 increased 1.4 per cent to Rs 263.06 crore as compared to Rs 259.46 crore in Q1-2016, but declined 9.4 per cent from Rs 290.28 crore in Q2-2015. This segment reported lower operating loss in Q2-2016 at Rs 32.11 crore as compared to the Rs 34.92 crore in Q1-2016 and an operating profit of Rs 8.64 crore in Q2-2015.
Den’s Cable Subscription Revenue net of activation and LCO share in Q2-2016 declined three per cent QoQ to Rs 115 crore from Rs 119 crore and was flat YoY at Rs 115 crore. Placement Income in the current quarter declined six per cent QoQ and YoY to Rs 111 crore from Rs 118 crore. Activation revenues increased 80 per cent QoQ to Rs 27 crore from Rs 15 crore and increased 64 per cent from Rs 17 crore.
Den’s Broadband revenue increased 58 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 8.23 crore as compared to the Rs 5.21 crore in Q1-2016 and Rs 1.44 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. Operating loss from broadband however increased to Rs 23.07 crore in Q2-2016 as compared to the operating loss of Rs 19.67 crore in the immediate trailing quarter and an operating loss of Rs 10.7 crore in Q2-2015.
Subscription Status and TV Shop
The company says that it has seeded 3.5 lakh set top boxes (STB) in the current quarter as compared to 1.85 lakh in the previous quarter. Den has already seeded 26 lakh STBs in Digital Addressable Systems (DAS) Phase III areas. Its digital customer base at the end of the current quarter was 76 lakh as compared to 72 lakh in the previous quarter and 66 lakh in Q2-2015.
In the case of broadband, the company added 21,000 subscribers in the current quarter as compared to 12,000 in Q1-2016. Its total broadband subscriber base in Q2-2016 was 57,000 as compared to 35,000 in Q1-2016 and 16,000 in Q2-2015.
For its TV Shop, it has a reach of 380 lakh and added Videocon DTH to the distribution reach. Monthly GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) rate was Rs 17 crore as compared to the Rs 12 crore in the previous quarter.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Den:
The company’s Total Expenses in Q2-2016 at Rs 335.04 crore (123.5 per cent of TIO) increased 4.6 per cent QoQ as compared to Rs 320.33 crore (120.6 per cent of TIO) and increased 12.5 per cent YoY from Rs 297.82 crore (102.1 per cent of TIO).
Content cost in Q2-2016 at Rs 136.77 crore (50.4 per cent of TIO) was almost flat (increased 0.5 per cent) QoQ as compared to Rs 136.06 crore (51.2 per cent of TIO) was 25.6 per cent more than the Rs 108.91 crore (37.3 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015.
The company’s interest and finance costs in Q2-2016 increased 16.3 per cent QoQ to 21.25 crore (7.8 per cent of TIO) as compared to Rs 18.27 crore (6.9 per cent of TIO) but declined 6.4 per cent as compared to the Rs 22.90 crore (7.8 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015.
Employee Benefit Expense at Rs 34.15 crore (12.9 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2016 was 20 per cent more than the Rs 28.46 crore (9.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 13.4 per cent more than the Rs 30.12 crore (11.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.
Employee Benefit Expense in the current quarter increased 3.5 per cent QoQ to Rs 35.35 crore (13 per cent of TIO) from Rs 34.15 crore (12.9 per cent of TIO) and increased 36.9 per cent YoY from Rs 25.83 crore (8.9 per cent of TIO).
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
